Canada remains one of the most popular study destinations in the world, but the system that decides who gets in has changed more in the last two years than in the previous decade. The Student Direct Stream closed in November 2024, a national cap on study permit applications is now in its second full year, and from January 2026 graduate students get a meaningfully lighter application path than undergraduates. This guide walks through exactly what a 2026 applicant needs — the cap, the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) system, proof of funds, fees, and realistic timelines.
Start here: the Designated Learning Institution (DLI)
Every study permit application begins with a Letter of Acceptance from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) — the list of schools IRCC has approved to host international students. Your letter must show your program, its length, and your DLI’s official DLI number. Without it, there is nothing to attach a study permit application to.
The 2026 national cap and the PAL system
Since January 2024, most study permit applicants have needed a Provincial or Territorial Attestation Letter (PAL/TAL) issued by the province or territory where they’ll study, confirming they count against that province’s share of a national cap. For 2026, IRCC has set a study permit application cap of 309,670 spaces for PAL/TAL-required applicants, and expects to issue up to 408,000 study permits in total across new arrivals and extensions — both lower than 2025 and part of a deliberate push to shrink Canada’s temporary-resident population.
The one big exception, new for 2026: as of January 1, 2026, master’s and doctoral students enrolled at a public DLI no longer need a PAL/TAL at all. In its place, include a brief letter of explanation naming your graduate program and a Letter of Acceptance that clearly states the program level — graduate certificates, graduate diplomas, and private-DLI graduate programs are not covered by this exemption. PhD applicants (and accompanying family) applying together may also qualify for a roughly 14-day expedited decision. If you applied before January 1, 2026, the old PAL requirement still applies even to a graduate program.
Proof of funds: how much and how to show it
IRCC’s financial requirement is additive — tuition + a living-cost threshold + travel, not one figure covering everything. The cost-of-living threshold is indexed to Statistics Canada data and rose again in 2025:
- Outside Quebec: CAD $22,895 for a single applicant (in effect since September 1, 2025), plus your first year’s tuition and return travel.
- Quebec: CAD $24,617 from January 1, 2026 — noticeably higher than the rest of Canada.
- Accompanying family: add a set amount per additional person; check the current table on IRCC’s site before you calculate your total.
Acceptable proof includes a Canadian bank account showing the funds in your name, a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) from a participating financial institution, a student/education loan letter, four months of personal bank statements, or a sponsor’s letter with their own financial evidence. See our general proof of funds guide for how officers read supporting documents across countries — the same “traceable, not a last-minute deposit” principle applies here.
Fees
- Study permit application fee: CAD $150
- Biometrics fee: CAD $85 (single applicant); CAD $170 maximum for a family of two or more
Total government fee for a single applicant: CAD $235, before any GIC, translation, or courier costs.
The application, step by step
- Get your DLI Letter of Acceptance and, if required, your PAL/TAL from the province.
- Gather financial evidence covering tuition plus the current living-cost threshold.
- Apply online through your IRCC secure account — nearly all applicants must apply online now.
- Give biometrics (fingerprints and photo) at a Visa Application Centre, valid for 10 years if you’ve provided them before.
- Wait for a decision. If approved, you receive a Port of Entry (POE) Letter of Introduction, not the physical permit — the study permit itself is issued when you land in Canada and a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer confirms your documents.
Processing times: budget more than the headline number
With the Student Direct Stream discontinued on November 8, 2024, essentially all applicants now go through the single Regular Study Permit stream, which IRCC generally quotes at 8–12 weeks. Two things routinely stretch that in practice:
- PAL/TAL turnaround adds its own lead time on top of the federal processing clock — provinces vary in how quickly they issue letters, and this is time IRCC’s published processing time doesn’t include.
- Volume swings by season — application volumes peak ahead of September intakes, and posts with high demand or referred security checks take longer than the average.
Apply as early as your DLI allows, and don’t book non-refundable flights until your permit is approved.
After you land: work rights and the path to a work permit
Once you’re studying, a Canada study permit allows up to 24 hours per week of off-campus work during term (unlimited during scheduled breaks, capped at 180 days a year) — see our full work-on-a-student-visa rules guide for exactly how Canada’s rule compares to the US, UK, and Australia.
After graduation, most study permit holders can apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) — an open work permit whose length generally tracks your program length, up to three years for programs two years or longer. One important 2024 change: since November 1, 2024, students in non-degree programs (college diplomas, certificates — not bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees) must have studied in a field aligned to Canada’s long-term labour-market needs to qualify for a PGWP; university degree students are exempt from this field-of-study test. We compare Canada’s PGWP against the US, UK, and Australia’s equivalents in our post-study work visas compared guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a PAL if I’m doing a master’s degree? Not if you’re applying on or after January 1, 2026 to a public DLI — you’re exempt. Private-DLI graduate programs and graduate diplomas/certificates still need one. Confirm your DLI’s public/private status before assuming you’re exempt.
Is the Student Direct Stream (SDS) still an option? No. SDS closed permanently on November 8, 2024. Every applicant, regardless of nationality, now applies through the standard Regular Study Permit stream with the same document requirements.
Does the national cap mean I might not get a spot even if I qualify? The cap limits how many PAL/TAL-required applications IRCC processes system-wide each year, and provinces allocate their share to schools. A genuinely eligible applicant with a valid PAL can still be affected by how quickly their province distributes letters — apply as early in the cycle as you can.
Can my spouse or children come with me? Family members of some study permit holders remain eligible for their own permits, though eligibility has tightened since 2024. Confirm current eligibility for accompanying family on IRCC’s website before you plan around it.
Get ready
Work through the Canada study permit checklist to make sure your file is complete, and practise likely questions with the Canada study permit interview prep. If you’re weighing Canada against another destination, our Canada vs Australia for international students comparison digs into the trade-offs. When you’re ready to check your own eligibility and get your documents screened before you submit, join the VisaMet waitlist.
This is preparation guidance, not legal advice. Fees, thresholds, and cap allocations are reviewed and adjusted by IRCC regularly — always confirm current figures on canada.ca — Study permit and the IRCC fee schedule before you apply.